Banned

Member

Not trying to fuel the fanboy war, but I think this video being so insanely gay is a direct consequence of Madonna wanting to remember gay men she was their original icon/supporter. I doubt we would have this video if it wasn't for Lady Gaga.

In any case, nice to see Madonna dancing once again. The awkward, clunky, aren't-I-flexible moves were getting tiresome.

I agree, Madge has been phoning it in as far as music videos is concerned these past few years. I think Madonna thrives on competition. If there is one thing Madonna fans can thank Gaga for is reigniting Madonna's competitive edge.

Banned

I agree, Madge has been phoning it in as far as music videos is concerned these past few years. I think Madonna thrives on competition. If there is one thing Madonna fans can thank Gaga for is reigniting Madonna's competitive edge.

pristine morning snow

Yeah, on the one hand, it's Madonna and anyone who's going to get the album has had it on their gay agenda for months; on the other hand, it wouldn't kill her (or at her age, maybe it would. zing!) to do a few TV performances -- she did an interview with Jimmy Fallon, for God's sake. That's slumming it.

Member

This album is huge for Madonna and she knows it. It's her first from her 3 album deal with Live Nation and she knew she had to deliver if only to ascertain the power of her brand. This being said, she recognized a long time ago that the money is made in tours, not in album sales. I dare say she doesn't even care that much about singles' chart placing anymore. She's doing what she wants and we as usual are just along for the ride. It is to our advantage that Gaga has been riding her coattails to make her more focused and less self-indulgent on her records.

The album is a brilliant, as it had to be. It would have been easy for her critics to cast her aside as irrelevant now that Gaga is around who, let's be honest, has used the model that Madge carved herself to build up on her career.

Also like others have mentioned, at this point her audience is pretty well defined. She is not gonna win any detractors over and she knows it.

As far as attracting new fans, in this world of internet and YouTube she has volumes in interviews, performances and music videos at the click of of mouse for anyone with the slight inclination to look up what she's all about. As far as promotions goes, she did have that little 14 minute commercial which became the most watched TV performance ever. And she didn't put up a penny for it. Aside from that, I don't think she has the patience for interview after interview anymore. Save for some strategic ones her time is probably better spent making sure her tour is her best one yet.

Again, with Madonna you have to keep strategy in everything she does. Hard Candy was basically Madonna putting the least effort for the highest possible outcome. For how nice it turned out, that's saying something. It was her last WB studio album, it was more of a charity to them if you think about it.

Member

I guess I'd consider myself a new fan, despite listening to her classic 90s singles back then. I'm 27, so I'm not young. What I mean by 'new fan' is that I didn't listen to her albums in their entirety. Just what I listened to on the radio. Listening to some songs from her new album has made me appreciate her as a singer and why she's considered one of the pop icons. She incorporates charm into her music.

I like you. Get Together and Forbidden Love are the perfect songs on COADF. Overall I agree with your ratings too, except my numbers would be higher across the board: I think the album as a whole is very good.

Edit1: Except for I love NY. Sticks out like a sore thumb on that album. Shitty lyrics, shitty music, and totally different from the disco inspired tracks on the album.

Edit2: And I haven't listened to the bonus tracks, but I have a feeling they will disappoint.

Edit3: They should have replaced I Love New York with Fighting Spirit. Fits better on the album, and is just a much better song.

GAF's Bob Woodward

Completely addicted to Girls Gone Wild. Love the video too, I can almost pretend 90s Madonna never went away ;D And the cheeky opening dialog...she could do prayer tapes if this whole music lark ever falls through.

Member

Banned

I like you. Get Together and Forbidden Love are the perfect songs on COADF. Overall I agree with your ratings too, except my numbers would be higher across the board: I think the album as a whole is very good.

Member

It's a beautiful album. It takes her heart getting broken to make albums like this. It's definitely up there. We won't get something this honest and genuine from her for a long while. This is something very very special.

Banned

It's a beautiful album. It takes her heart getting broken to make albums like this. It's definitely up there. We won't get something this honest and genuine from her for a long while. This is something very very special.

Member

WTH are you guys on? Were it not for I'm addicted, I'd be hard-pressed not to call this album Hard Candy Part Two.

Looking at the track list, my quick observations...

Girl Gone Wild - It's not bad per se, but really generic. Still has some schwung to it though.

Gang Bang - the song goes no where, is that cringe worthy yelling at the end supposed to be the climax? And "Skrillex breakdowns" aren't helping anyone. We'll look back at this shit in years wondering wtf people were thinking.

I'm Addicted - Great songs that slowly builds up to great climax. The last 10 seconds when the "M..D..N..A" singing goes in a different key is amazing. Weird how Benassi produced both the generic Girls Gone Wild and this awesome song.

Turn up the Radio - typical Martin Solveig song. Not bad, but does nothing for me. None of his songs ever have.

Give me all your luvin - I can't hate the track because it's kinda silly, but it's so basic. And M.I.A. and Minaj can fuck off. Ironically, in the Demolition Crew Remix the part with M.I.A. is the best part. It's also by far the best remix of the song. Thanks to whoever linked to it in this thread.

Some Girls - Is kinda good, but Madonna's singing is really weird here. Especially in the verses.

Superstar - Sounds like a Martin Solveig song but isn't. Boring. The lyrics bother me here. And again with the dubstep'ish breakdown.

I don't give a - I barely have an opinion on this song. It's just there. Minaj can fuck off. Not that it's particularly beautiful, but the weird epic opera ending is a nice touch.

I'm a Sinner - takes inspiration from Beautiful stranger, but is far inferior to it, and when you compare two "similar" songs like those next to each other, it really shows how much Madonna's voice has gotten worse since her post-Evita days.

Love Spent - Has like 5 different ideas for a great song in it. Especially starting 2m15s the song takes a completely different route. I like it though. Except again, Madonna's voice is just so squeaky and frail.

Masterpiece - Latin sounding ballad. Not a fan of it. The lyrics are a bit stupid too. Gotta wonder how horrendous the competition was, if this won a golden globe.

Falling Free - This really sounds like a Ray of Light song. By no means bad, but a little boring.

Beautiful Killer - nothing spectacular either, but I like the chorus. It's catchy and happy.

I fucked up - just no. Shitty beat, shitty lyrics, shitty voice performance. Only the part where the beat goes into overdrive gives this song something "eventful".

B-Day Song - starts with a 60's sounding beat, could be nice... but oh wait, it's a M.I.A. track and Madonna is in for the ride. Result: grating and off key sounding first attempt demo vocals throughout this abomination. If this got demoted to bonus track because of M.I.A.'s superbowl stunt, she did us all a service.

Best Friend - this song in particular sounds like a B-side (or A-side?) of Hard Candy. I kiiinda like the chorus, but overall the song is pretty damn empty.

To summarize: I'm Addicted is great, Love Spent is good, the rest ranges from "eh" to "oh dear god no!".

And I know Madonna isn't a vocal powerhouse, but she can do better than this. Either the producers need to mess around more to make her sound good, or they better ask the woman to do a second take! This Madonna is a far cry from the energetic but competent yelling she did in the eighties ("get up on the dance floor!" in Vogue still gives me shills, with the slight dysphonia in her voice, which is present in other songs like Holiday and Express Yourself), the warm and strong voice from Evita and Ray of Light, and the soothing smooth voice on Confessions on a Dance Floor.

The whole album is an amalgamation of everything Madonna from the 80s, 90s and today. I'm not finding one single song that I would be skipping on every listen. I ADORE Turn Up the Radio and Superstar. I love Beautiful Killer, I'm Addicted and Falling Free. Best Friends made me teary eyed. That hasn't happened in like forever.

I started listening to Madonna when I didn't know any English. I was there for the sounds and her voice. This is what drew me in. This album does all this for me today 30 years later. There is so much joy, euphoria, buoyancy, sorrow and raw emotion here it's hard for me not to feel enchanted by it. It's makes me feel... shiny and new, tehe!

The Amiga Brotherhood

[*]Give me all your luvin - I can't hate the track because it's kinda silly, but it's so basic. And M.I.A. and Minaj can fuck off. Ironically, in the Demolition Crew Remix the part with M.I.A. is the best part. It's also by far the best remix of the song. Thanks to whoever linked to it in this thread.

Agreed, though like GMAYL, the song is enhanced by the video. I think it's good enough in the context of the album, but the chorus lets the rest of the song down.

Gang Bang - the song goes no where, is that cringe worthy yelling at the end supposed to be the climax? And "Skrillex breakdowns" aren't helping anyone. We'll look back at this shit in years wondering wtf people were thinking.

We'll probably be looking back and wondering why Madonna hasn't done anything like it since. It's dirty and different.

I'm Addicted - Great songs that slowly builds up to great climax. The last 10 seconds when the "M..D..N..A" singing goes in a different key is amazing. Weird how Benassi produced both the generic Girls Gone Wild and this awesome song.

Give me all your luvin - I can't hate the track because it's kinda silly, but it's so basic. And M.I.A. and Minaj can fuck off. Ironically, in the Demolition Crew Remix the part with M.I.A. is the best part. It's also by far the best remix of the song. Thanks to whoever linked to it in this thread.

Reminds me of JANICE. The end reminds me of a Hardy Candy outtake. Didn't like it at first but I do now. Could do without Minaj.

I'm a Sinner - takes inspiration from Beautiful stranger, but is far inferior to it, and when you compare two "similar" songs like those next to each other, it really shows how much Madonna's voice has gotten worse since her post-Evita days.

I love this song now, didn't at first. So cruisy. Obviously very Beautiful Stranger/Amazing.

Love Spent - Has like 5 different ideas for a great song in it. Especially starting 2m15s the song takes a completely different route. I like it though. Except again, Madonna's voice is just so squeaky and frail.

Nice background tune, can see why it was relegated to bonus track though.

B-Day Song - starts with a 60's sounding beat, could be nice... but oh wait, it's a M.I.A. track and Madonna is in for the ride. Result: grating and off key sounding first attempt demo vocals throughout this abomination. If this got demoted to bonus track because of M.I.A.'s superbowl stunt, she did us all a service.

This Madonna is a far cry from the energetic but competent yelling she did in the eighties ("get up on the dance floor!" in Vogue still gives me shills, with the slight dysphonia in her voice, which is present in other songs like Holiday and Express Yourself), the warm and strong voice from Evita and Ray of Light, and the soothing smooth voice on Confessions on a Dance Floor.

Member

No. Just no. I'm not a Lady Gaga stan. So don't apply "stan wars" logic to me. I like songs from Lady Gaga, I like songs from Madonna. But I don't have a membership card to either of their wig snatching armies. I just call music like I hear it. ... (that is, if your comment was referring to me.)

I appreciate your commentary on all the songs though. I like it when people give more opinion than "when will your fave".

Random thought: I'm addicted could've replaced I love New York on COAD. It fits right in, and it would've made the album even better.

Banned

Sorry is good but it could've been a minute shorter and just as decent. The verses are terrible and the song didn't translate well live at all; probably why she didn't bother with it on the Sticky and Sweet Tour.

Jump is just... small doses.

If she had released Get Together as the second single with a proper video, I would've been a happy camper. Instead we got Sorry and one of her worst videos ever.

Definitely. The outro to Get Together is beautiful, and I love that there's a basic "melody" that Forbidden Love and Jump both share. In the transition between the two songs, the only piece of music that remains is that melody. Fucking brilliant!

Member

Ugh, once I make it past Jump Confessions jumps the shark sharply. It's some of Madonna's worst as far as self-indulgent poor-me-kabbalah-super-star moments. I really find it hard listening to the album to the end because of it. Let's not talk about Push Me. LIke it or Not is a great album finish.

pristine morning snow

Finally got a good copy of this (ain't wastin' time on that shitbag AOL stream) so I have something to listen to whilst I go thrifting this afternoon. Undoubtedly, I will making weird faces on the bus...